What is Botox

Recovery Like?

What can I do right after Botox injections? Or dermal filler injections for that matter? Sometimes your activities may be slightly limited. But the vast majority of patients will be able to resume normal activities immediately after leaving the surgeon’s office or medical spa. It’s one of the things that makes Botox and other injectables as popular as it is.

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What Can I Do Right After Botox?

Most plastic and cosmetic surgery procedures come with some kind of downtime. So if you’ve just gotten a Botox injection, you might be thinking: what can I do right after Botox? And what can I not do? That’s an understandable question, especially since Botox is often marketed as a “lunchtime facelift” with no substantial downtime.

What Can I Do Right After Botox Injections?

The most reliable information about what you can do right after Botox injections will usually come direction from your own cosmetic surgeon. There are some answers to this question that will depend specifically on your personal physiology. However, in most cases you’ll find that, after a Botox injection, you’ll be able to resume most normal, daily activities.

The few activities that fall outside of that definition may require some extra clearance from or discussion with your cosmetic surgeon. For example, vigorous exercise is usually not recommended immediate following your Botox injection. The reason is pretty straightforward: exercise gets your metabolism up and that metabolism can spread the Botox a little bit further than surgeons were anticipating. So what can I do right after Botox that I normally wouldn’t? Let’s take a look at the big picture and get some broad answers.

Activities You Can and Can’t Do After Botox

One thing that we really can’t emphasize enough is that you must talk to your surgeon about recovery from any type of injections, from Botox to Juvederm or Voluma. This article is not meant to be taken as medical advice–it is written for entertainment purposes only.

When most people inquire about what they can and can’t do after Botox injections, they often really want to know about limitations on their activities. And, to be sure, there are some things you should abstain from directly after your Botox injections:

Vigorous exercise

Alcohol consumption

Smoking tobacco

In most cases, the list of what you can’t do is going to be relatively short. Anything that increases your metabolism in a significant way or thins out your blood should be avoided. When that happens, the effects of the Botox may become diluted and spread beyond their targeted area.

Health or Results?

Ultimately, there are few health risks from Botox injections themselves. But that’s not the same as saying there are no health risks. Indeed, you’ll want to talk to your cosmetic surgeon about possible complications from Botox. Knowing the possible complications can help ensure you end up with the results you want. Indeed, most recovery instructions are formulated for the dual purposes of maintaining good health and ensuring your results meet your expectations.

What About Other Injectables?

The questions that patients ask about Botox often also apply to other injectables, such as Juvederm, Restylane, or Voluma. Without a doubt, each and every injectable is going to have its own unique and individual recovery instructions. If you’re undergoing Juvederm injections, you should ask your surgeon about activity restrictions, even if you’ve already had Voluma injections. It’s just better to be safe than sorry!

That said, activity restrictions will be very similar for all injectable dermal fillers. And basically it will boil down to this:

In general, avoid strenuous physical activity for roughly 24 hours

Don’t engage in any reckless behaviors for at least 24 hours

Try to avoid alcohol and tobacco products for at least 24 hours

The instructions are pretty similar to those you might receive when undergoing Botox injections. But the reasons are somewhat different. When dermal fillers a first injected, it remains somewhat pliable. (This is actually somewhat useful for surgeons.) It takes a bit for the injectable to “set” properly. During that time, surgeons want you to avoid any activities in which you might bump, prod, or poke the treated area.

Follow Your Recovery Care Instructions

The best thing you can do for yourself and for your injectable results is to follow your recovery and care instructions. Your surgeon should give you individualized recovery instructions. And those instructions are designed to help you feel as comfortable as possible while maintaining your results.

Questions about your recovery, then, should be directed towards your cosmetic surgeon. When you ask, what can I do right after Botox injections, your surgeon should be able to answer that. For the vast majority of patients, Botox injections will not interfere with your daily life. They will stay true to that lunch break makeover marketing moniker.